6th Form Life

Coming back – Why the Sixth Form?

Now is the time for you and your parents to decide what you are going to do next year. There are a number of Learning Pathways that you can follow and you will have to think very carefully about your long-term future. The Sixth Form is only one of several routes; you will have learned about these other ways from other sources. This booklet will explain the Sixth Form opportunities at Brynteg.

The main reasons for staying on at school are:

To follow a two year course preparing you for Advanced Level GCE examinations or a BTEC Qualification. These are the normal qualifications for entry into Higher Education.

To study a one year vocational BTEC course or other level 2 qualifications with the opportunity to resit some GCSE subjects and gain additional experience via work experience, charity work etc.

If you decide to come back to the Sixth Form you will find that life in Years 12 and 13 is a little different to what you have experienced in school so far. As this booklet will show, we will still be looking for high standards of behaviour, attendance and a positive attitude from you and you can still depend on high standards of support and help from us. However, as you begin in the Sixth Form you are entering into a new stage of your education that will see you mature from older children into young adults. This brings new responsibilities but also many privileges, one of which is having the opportunity to take a full and active part in the life of the Sixth Form.

What does the Sixth Form provide?

The Sixth Form provides far more than mere qualifications; it is, and always has been, a very special part of secondary education. It caters in a particular way for those students who decide to stay in school beyond the statutory leaving age. What does the Sixth Form provide?

Self Development

Sixth Form students have the opportunity to develop in a protected environment and take responsibility for their own learning. You will become more mature, acquiring such characteristics as self-awareness, self-discipline and a sense of responsibility. You have the opportunity – whatever your career ambition or intellectual potential – to make important social, personal and academic gains. These will come from your involvement in Enrichment Studies, extra-curricular activities, societies, sport, from your friendships with your fellow students and from the more informal relationships with members of staff.

Leadership and Responsibility

You will be given the opportunity to develop characteristics of leadership and responsibility. The Sixth Form provides seniority, privileges and duties. You must set standards of behaviour, work
and appearance which will be an example to younger students. You will give the lead in organising societies and sports teams, and “in-house” competitions such as the Eisteddfod. There is a Common Room where you will learn to behave responsibly under your own supervision.

Intellectual Development

In most subjects the style of study is different in Years 12 and 13 – more relaxed, less formal in some ways, yet more demanding, less straightforward in others. You will learn how to use the Library, for study, for reference, for reading periodicals and newspapers, and will have study periods when you are expected to work on your own.
In Years 12 and 13, staff do not “spoon-feed” students, nor do they expect to have to make you work. You have volunteered to stay on at school. You are expected to do far more work than is set, and to gain an awareness of the wider implications of the subjects studied. In all these ways, you will develop intellectual skills and good work habits that are essential for success in employment and in Higher Education. You should expect to complete a minimum of ten hours additional work per week outside contact lessons. This will increase to fifteen hours per week in Year 13.

General Education and extra curricular opportunities

Many of you will have already decided on a career, and will pursue your chosen subjects with single-minded determination. Extra-curricular activities are an important part of broadening education and there are many opportunities in the sixth form including reading groups, orchestra, choirs, school productions and cultural events, sports teams, Young Enterprise and The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. The opportunities are endless including sporting and cultural domestic and overseas educational visits, opportunities to participate in local, regional and national competitions, local, national and international charity events and so on.

Support

We promote traditional values in the Sixth Form at Brynteg. We hope that the experience of attending the Sixth Form will make a positive contribution to each individual. You are encouraged to accept more responsibility for your actions and educational progress. We pride ourselves on the pastoral care and support on offer for each of you. You not only have the opportunity to develop
your academic skills but also to gain a wide range of experiences that we hope will contribute to your future success.